The Clash of Two Security Conceptions on the Plateau: Issues, Problems and Prognoses

Abstract

The conception of security in post World War II era was anchored on the protection and preservation of the state’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and the regime in power. This trend however changed at the end of Cold War to the protection and preservation of the national, who now became the primary unit of analysis and who is meant to live under socio-economic and political conditions that seek to guarantee the twin values of freedom from fear and freedom from want. This paper, in examining contemporary challenges to peace and security in Plateau State, argues that the intractable and internecine conflict dynamics reflects a constant clash between the traditional and human conceptions of security. The clash is made possible by Nigeria’s historical experiences in colonial and military dictatorships, which sustained the deployment of military hardware in state responsiveness to every conflict situations. In interpreting these scenarios, the paper deployed classical historical, analytical and comparative research methods in concluding that the zero-sum and militarist-driven approach may fail to address the historical, political, and socio-economic roots of conflict on the Plateau.